1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluidic antenna, and more particularly to a fluidic antenna used in an mobile phone to reduce harmful effect to a user.
2. Description of Related Arts
It is known to use microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device design and fabrication techniques in forming liquid metal inductors. as well as microswitch and other circuit components. Various liquid metal circuit component architectures have been implemented, and differences among the architectures include: mechanisms for actuating the circuit component (e.g., moving the liquid metal), devices and techniques for loading the circuit components with liquid metal, and fabrication techniques. Liquid metal inductor is formed from two separate material layers, e.g., separate wafers or portions thereof that have been bonded together. The inductor is formed by filling a generally spiral shaped channel or cavity with a liquid metal or other sufficiently electrically conductive liquid. Numerous different techniques can be used to produce the proper amount of liquid metal in the inductor channel. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,477,123.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0075069 discloses a fluidic structure behaving as an antenna and a method of its manufacturing. The reversibly deformable and mechanically tunable fluidic antenna may be formed by injecting a liquid metal, such as gallium (Ga) or gallium-based alloy, into one or more cavities within a material substrate or a base material coupled to a bonding layer material. Because the antenna is formed with a liquid metal, the mechanical properties of the antenna may be defined by mechanical properties of the substrate. As such, for an elastomeric substrate, the resulting elastomeric fluidic antenna may be deformed (e.g., stretched, bent, flexed, rolled, etc.) and released/reversed without loss of electrical continuity. The base material may be formed of any elastomeric or rigid material, such as a low dielectric constant low-loss tangent elastomer. Silicones represent a category of elastomers.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0007778 discloses use of microfluidic technology, utilizing conductive liquid and/or floated conductive solids, to form a variety of reconfigurable and/or steerable electronic components such as antennas. For example, a dipole antenna includes a conducting surface (in the form of two arms) disposed on a layer. The frequency of the antenna may be tuned by positioning conductors within microfluidic channels to effectively increase the length of the antenna arms. Each conductor may be disposed within a dedicated microfluidic channel, or a single microfluidic channel may contain all of the conductors. The conductors may be repositioned within microfluidic channels via a suitably disposed actuating mechanism. In another exemplary arrangement, an antenna emits a beam of radiation that may be steered to any of four positions. Such antenna arrangement includes or consists essentially of a driven element that is a fluidic or floating solid conductor disposed within a microfluidic channel, as well as a reflector and a director (i.e., parasitic elements) that may be printed directly on the substrate of antenna. Driven element may then be moved within microfluidic channel between the parasitic elements in order to steer beam through any number of preset positions. In another embodiment, the design reconfigures the physical radiating structure in order to steer the antenna beam. Thus, parasitic elements are optional and a single radiating structure may be used (helpful in applications where small size is desired). It may also enable the reconfiguring of miniature antennas in response to environmental changes.
Example antenna designs that fluidic antennas may be formed as include a single element (e.g., single pole) antenna, a dipole antenna, a helix antenna, a coil antenna, a patch antenna, etc. A dipole antenna may generate strong electromagnetic wave radiating when it is working. The radiation may be harmful to human body. In particular, when a mobile phone user answers a phone call, the phone is brought closer to the ear of the user.
An improved antenna to existing technology is desired.